This invention relates to a new and improved, biodegradable biocide-composition having mold inhibiting or prevention activity and which provides both long and short term activity in animal husbandry use, and for the medical and food industry, and the like. The present biocide composition retains activity in the presence of significant amounts of organic matter and hard water and provides an activity having a short inception time, and for a significant period thereafter; also, the shelf life of the present composition has a significant shelf life.
Biocides for use particularly in animal husbandry locations, and the like, require a suitable activity against a wide variety of microorganisms such as bacteria, molds, spores and viruses, and in the presence of significant amounts of organic matter and using hard water. Additionally, this activity should have a short inception period such as ten minutes, and be effective for a significant period of time thereafter, such as for at least five hours. Also, these biocides should be capable of being used not only for spraying onto surfaces, but also to inhibit or remove airborne contamination, particularly in poultry houses, where dust and airborne particles may carry many types of diseases. Also, biocides generally should be biodegradable, and possess a long shelf life yielding phase and composition stability such as about twelve to eighteen months.
Many biocides are well known, and publications of these types are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,028, 299; 3,150,096; 3,367,877; 3,438,905; 3,644,650; 3,697,651; 3,728,449; 4,059,615; 4,107,312; 4,226,866; 4,923,899; 4,957,912; 4,983,635; 5,030,659; 5,124,359; 5,284,675; 5,344,838; 5,338,746; 5,368,868; 5,391,379; 5,419,908; 5,500,138; 5,668,102; 5,891,922 and, French Patent 2,622,397.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,338,748 and 5,344,838 both disclose using arsenic, chromium, cyanides, lead and selenium in the intended compounds, which would make them totally unsuitable for animal husbandry purposes. Hence, it is considered these patents do not describe a combination of the desired properties of a biocide composition for the intended usage. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,728,449 and 5,368,868 describe the use of iodine, propylene glycol and a block copolymer of polyoxyethylene and polyoxypropylene as a germicidal composition, but they are used as a bovine teat dip, and are too mild as a biocide in an animal husbandry environment.